Destiny Calls
by doctorism
Summary: Emma is faced with a tragic choice that will forever change her life. Will she choose the right thing, or will she lose the one thing that was bound to hold her together?


**Alright, well this is my first fic in a while (on this account). At the beginning of the year I deleted all my fics so I could focus more on vidding, tumblr, etc. But now I'm back with a new fandom! Since everyone on my dash was writing something tragic. I thought I would too. Enjoy.**

…

"_The mistakes I've made are dead to me. But I can't take back the things I never did."_

Emma Swan had lived a long, hard life.

Growing up abandoned and faithless only incorporated into the fact that she'd have trust issues. Everyone and everything that was meant as a stability in her life went away as fast as it came. It hurt, at first. But as time went on, it became a normalcy to be abandoned, to be left alone. As Emma grew up into adulthood, she slowly began to accept that she'd never be someone's first choice, and a part of her began to tragically accept that.

_Then she met Neal._ He was like a light shining through the darkness, a beacon of hope. It was the first time in her life where she completely devoted herself to someone, the first time where she loved another person wholeheartedly. Over time she learned to trust, and love, and hope…because he was the first person that was actually _there _for her. And it felt _good_.

But like all good things, it came to a cold end.

He left her, just like everyone else had in her life. The worst part is that even if she wanted to forget about him, she couldn't. He left her abandoned with their unborn child. And with that it became hell every day. Her swelling stomach constantly reminding her about his absence; that was the day she had vowed never to love again.

Years passed, and circumstances changed with them.

She got her son back, Henry, in a way. She found her parents, her family; and for the first time in her life, _she_ was the priority. Things were different, things were _better_. Emma felt as though her life had meaning again. Although her romantic life had been nothing short of tragic, she soldiered on, because that's what she _does_. She survives, regardless.

That was when she met Hook.

It was most likely the most unusual situation she's been in, being stuck in a fairytale land, with fairytale characters she had read about as a child. Emma certainly had never thought that she'd be teaming up with Mulan, Aurora, and Captain Hook in order to get back home to her son. But it happened, and even though there were a few obstacles along the way, and a few betrayals, she made it back to Storybrooke in one piece. For that, she couldn't be more thankful.

As life in Storybrooke progressed on, Killian quietly weaseled his way into her life. At first he merely began to meet her 'unexpectedly' on the streets, then came the obnoxious flirting, and the constant push for her to go with him on a date (from which he had just learned the meaning of). Weeks passed and she eventually gave in.

After that they went on a few more dates, and the longing stares turned into lingering touches. The lingering touches turned into the brushing of lips just outside her door. Their likeness of each other soon turned into something so passionate, so unique, that Emma actually began to _feel again_.

And it was beautiful. They were beautiful.

_It was like they had this deep, spiritual bond, that not even death could break._

Right as things started to make sense, Neal arrived in Storybrooke, and that's when her world started to become cluttered with memories of her past. He explained to her about what August had told him, about the curse, about everything. And a part of her understood; but the other part felt so lost and angry that she could barely contain it.

_The worst part was that she still had feelings for him._

Almost a week went by and things started to get complicated between Killian and Neal. They stopped at nothing to fight for Emma's side. The two men accused each other of numerous things, abandonment, mistreatment…and she was just thankful that they never got violent, even though it got painfully close to that point.

Then one bitter night, she made a choice that would affect her entire life.

She had to choose between them.

..

Emma was walking from the station to her car. It had been an extremely long day and all she wanted to do was go home and fall into bed. She had managed to dodge both Killian and Neal's calls, and had been thankful they hadn't stopped by to check in on her. Emma figured that they thought she needed a break, because she truly did. For the past week all there had been was drama, surrounded by piercing glares and protective words. She was so beyond done with this whole love triangle thing. It was starting to get way out of hand.

It was just when she was unlocking her car that she felt a presence behind her. It only took her a matter of seconds to realize who it was.

"Emma." He said her name with such a sweet simplicity, it made her heart stop for a second. He slowly walked towards her maintaining his focused gaze. "We need to talk, love." He said softly. He was standing right before her, and she couldn't feel more nervous in her life.

She dropped her shoulders a bit and focused on the buttons of his coat. It was a bitter night. "Can't it wait until tomorrow, Hook?" The name became more of an endearment as they grew closer, so it was a normalcy for her to call him that. "I'm beat."

"No, we need to settle this right now. I'm tired of waiting." He said seriously, obviously focused on the subject at hand. He raised his hand and caressed her cheek for a moment, before looking at her straight in the eyes. "You know how much I care about you, Emma."

"I know." She whispered. Emma found it nearly impossible to look him in the eye.

"Look at me." He said softly. "Emma I need you to look at me, please." Her gaze slowly moved up to meet his. "You and I…we've been through so much." He tilted his head, but continued to stare at her. Hook ran his fingers though her hair, like he always did.

"Where are you going with this?" Emma asked uneasily.

"We've been through so much." He repeated. "But you've also been through so much with him." She sighed.

"Hook—"

"And I understand how hard this may be for you, being in this situation." She was now extremely uncomfortable with where this was going. "But there has to be an end, love."

"An end?"

"A choice has to be made." There it is. He said it, and she knows for a fact that he's right. "Before you say anything else, just think about this." She inhaled all that she could, not sure if she's ready for what he'd say next. "Down the road, in say, ten years from now…who's at your side?"

"Hook…"

"Who's standing next to you, Emma?" He grabbed her hand and held it up to his face, holding it as if she'd let go forever.

"I…" She was completely out of words. This was the moment she has been dreading, choosing between Killian and Neal; the pirate or the criminal. Her head started to spin as he seemed to stare right into her, piercing her with his illusory eyes. With everything that she could have said, anything that she could have done…only two words slipped passed her lips.

"I'm sorry." His face dropped and her breath hitched. _What had she done?_

"What?" He asked painfully, like he had just found out his closest friend had died.

"I—you're…You're a pirate, Killian." Tears started to form in her eyes. "Pirates steal things, and they lie, and cheat, and—"

"No, Emma. We're passed that." He started. "You know me better than to hurt you. I—I would _never_ hurt you." Emotion broke in his voice as he tried to reach out to her, but she instantly pulled away.

"No." She said bluntly. "No—no this isn't right."

"Of course it's right, love. Please—please don't build up those walls, again. I'm begging you, Emma."

"But I _have_ to." Emma stated. "Because I know what's going to happen if I choose you, and I can't risk it."

"You're afraid I'm going to leave you…_is that_ it?" Killian asked, she remained quiet. "_You_ are the reason I stay in this god-forsaken town. _You're_ the reason why I wake up every morning, because I know that when I'm with you, _I am happy_." He paused for a moment. "For the first time in years, I'm happy. And you can deny it all you want, love, but I know for a fact that you are too."

"And that scares me, Killian!" She raised her voice. "Because whenever I'm happy, something or someone has to rip that away from me."

"Not this time." Hook stated. "Emma, please."

She remained quiet for what seemed like forever. He tried to touch her but she shrugged it away, trying not let any signs of sadness show, but painfully failing at that task since tears were falling from her eyes.

"I can't take any more chances." She said shakily, another tear rolling down her cheek. "I'm sorry Killian, but…I can't."

He stood before her with pain evident in every small move he made. "So you choose him, the one who abandoned you." He said softly.

"He came back."

"He shouldn't have left you in the first place." Hook stated angrily. "Is this what you truly want?"

She paused for a moment. "Yes." Her heart beated against her chest, when all she really wanted to do was stop it right there. Emma saw him as he nodded slowly, and his gaze flickered to the ground.

"As always, I must respect your choice." He whispered. "You love him, who am I to try and stop that?"

"Killian.—"

"It's Hook." He stated bluntly. She stopped breathing as he briskly turned in the other direction, and disappeared out of her sight.

_She never told him that she loved him._

..

Two years have passed.

Two years since that dreadful, bitter night. She and Neal were living together with Henry, and in comparison to other times…she was better.

But not happy, never happy.

Emma hadn't seen Killian since that night. She'd gathered that he had left town, because he actually could, and went off to somewhere where he could move on from her, from all the craziness and indecisiveness that she had placed into his life.

She had hoped he found someone new, someone better than her. He probably has, knowing him.

Emma thinks of these things all the time, wondering if he's happy, in love, in peace with himself…And she missed him more than she missed anything in the world. The very thought of him makes her heart stop beating.

And she'd give anything to redo what she had done that night. Even though she was safer with Neal, she was destined for Killian. Emma knows that now. The choice she had made that very night was the worst choice she had ever made.

Because when he left, so did a piece of her.

..

It was a quiet Sunday in April. Emma had just arrived at the Diner to pick up some food for Henry, who was waiting at home for her. Walking through the doors, she was instantly attacked by Red, who was overflowing with energy.

"Whoa, what's your deal?" Red stepped back and gave her a weird look.

"Wait, you haven't heard? Red's eyes widened and she stepped back with realization. "Oh my god, you _haven't."_

"What? Wait, what the hell are you talking about?"

"It's Hook." Red stated. "He's back in Storybrooke."

_If this wasn't destiny, she had no idea what was._


End file.
